


Sakamoto Mother's Day

by vivvav



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Flying Cat, Friendship, Gen, Slice of Life, The AFR Universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-14
Updated: 2017-05-14
Packaged: 2018-10-31 17:06:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10903740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivvav/pseuds/vivvav
Summary: Ryuji tries to put together the perfect Mother's Day. Things don't go well. But as fate would have it, none of his friends have any reason to celebrate Mother's Day, so help isn't far off.





	Sakamoto Mother's Day

**Author's Note:**

> This was written in response to a writing prompt by /u/grodr2001 on the Persona 5 subreddit. The prompt read "Mother's Day for the Phantom Thieves is... Complicated to say the least...:"

Ryuji felt like such a failure.

The timing had been so perfect. His mom had left town for a couple of days to visit a sick friend. She was gonna be back just in time for Mother's Day. He had planned this big homecoming for her. He was gonna make her this special cake with her picture on it in frosting. After a lot of prodding and reminding them how he was their best customer, he got the chefs at the ramen shop in Ogikubo to give him one of their recipes so he could make her a home cooked meal. Their apartment, small though it was, was always a little messy, so he was going to clean it completely. And to top it all off, he tapped into some of his leftover Phantom Thieves money to buy her a really nice necklace from that jewelry store in the Underground Mall in Shibuya. It wasn't anything too fancy, but it wasn't cheap either. He stuck out like a sore thumb in that store, of course, and the shopkeeper looked like they were ready to call the police until he pulled out the money to pay for the necklace, but it was worth it.

Ryuji was used to all kinds of weird stares from people, but never his mom. She'd been there with him through everything. Whether it was his dad's abuse and abandonment, his broken leg, his time marked as a delinquent thanks to Kamoshida, or his best buddy going to jail, Ryuji's mom had always been there for him. There wasn't a lot of money, and he wasn't always on his best behavior, but she never gave up on him and she never treated him like the same screw-up everybody else did.

So it really sucked that right now, he was being exactly that screw-up.

The cake came out all wrong. It was all crumbly. When he tried to frost it, it started falling apart, and the picture of his mom he was trying to make just wasn't happening. He'd completely messed up the ramen too. The noodles were overcooked, the pork was undercooked, and Ryuji was pretty sure he'd gotten teaspoons and tablespoons mixed up because the flavors were all wrong. Somehow, he'd lost the necklace between the mall and home. The zipper on his bag was busted and it must've fallen out somewhere without him noticing. And with everything else going wrong, there was no way he could fix all of it and clean the apartment in time before she got back. How could this day get any worse?

Ryuji's phone buzzed. He look down and saw a text from Ren.

> Hey, did you know there's a Power Intuition 2? Futaba just told me about it!

Ryuji sighed. He really hated blowing Ren off, but this was just bad timing.

> Not now, man.
> 
> Ryuji, is something wrong?
> 
> I really screwed up this time.

Ryuji's phone began ringing. He picked it up, and sure enough, there was Ren's voice, sounding worried. Ryuji told Ren that no, he wasn't in any kind of danger, and no, he wasn't going to get kicked out of school. He then explained how all of his plans had completely fallen apart.

"This is the worst, man!" Ryuji was pacing back and forth around the messy apartment. "I just wanted to do somethin' special for my mom, and I effed up every part of it! There's no way I can fix all of this in time! What am I gonna do!?”

There was silence.

"Yo, Ren? You still there?”

"Yeah..." Ren's voice had a weird tone to it. Ryuji had heard that tone before. He was plotting something. "Just keep cool, Ryuji. I'll be over soon.”

"What? What are you gonna do?" Ren had hung up. Ryuji kept yelling into the phone as is that would somehow change things. "Ren? C’mon!"

Ryuji didn't bother trying to call Ren back or texting him. This was clearly Joker taking over, and when Joker had an idea, he didn't share the details until he felt like it. He had a flair for the theatrical like that. Ryuji tried to get some cleaning done, but he was too distracted to really focus on it. Just what was Ren planning?

Ryuji got his answer forty minutes later, when he heard knocking from his front door. He made his way over to it.

"Alright, Ren, what's your bright idea?”

Ryuji opened the door not just to see Ren, but the rest of the Phantom Thieves as well. All of them had come, even Futaba and Morgana.

"What are you all doin' here!?”

"Ren made us aware of your situation" Yusuke replied. "We are here to assist you, of course." Ryuji's friends all came into his home without waiting for an invitation.

"Wow, that's... Look, it's not that I don't appreciate you guys bein' here, but don't you got your own moms to worry about?”

Tension filled the air. Ryuji immediately realized how stupid what he just said was. Futaba, Haru, and Makoto especially had uncomfortable looks on their faces.

"Aw, crap. I totally forgot. Sorry.”

"Don't be." Yusuke smiled calmly at Ryuji. "I had been planning on gazing upon the Sayuri all day, but truthfully, helping you with your Mother's Day plans seems like a better use of my time.”

"And Ren's and my parents are somewhere else, so it's not like we had anything to do either" Ann added.

"I don't even have a mother" Morgana said. There was a strange note of pride in his tone. "Unless... Wait, is Lavenza my mom?”

"I don't even want to begin thinking about the implications of that" Ren said.

"We've all spent a great deal of time mourning our own personal losses" Haru said. "But I think that Yusuke-Kun has the right idea that it would be much more prudent for us to focus on the love that's still around us." Makoto and Futaba nodded in agreement.

"You guys..." Ryuji turned his head away, blushing a bit. Even a year after meeting Ren, having friends who were willing to do this kind of thing for him felt completely unreal. "I can't ask you to-“

"So don't." Futaba winked at Ryuji. "We're all just here 'cuz we have nothing better to do anyway.”

"Alright, here's the plan." Ren stepped forward. Even though the Phantom Thieves were no longer an official organization, they all still thought of Ren as their leader sometimes. "Makoto and Haru, you're on ramen duty.”

"Understood" Makoto said.

"I've been practicing cooking for my cafe!" Haru added. "You can count on us!”

"Ann and Yusuke, you prepare the cake." Ren turned to Ann. "Ann, you know desserts, so you're in charge of baking the actual cake. Yusuke will handle the decoration.”

"Oh, um, it's been a long time since I've actually baked anything..." Ann had a worried look on her face, but it quickly turned into a smile. "But it can't be too hard, right?”

"I am not accustomed to working in the medium of frosting, but I relish the experience." Yusuke closed his eyes, envisioning the work ahead of him. "I will make the cake so beauteous that Ryuji's mother will not even want to eat it!”

"Don't go that far, dude." Ryuji grabbed a framed photo of himself and his mother from a nearby table. "Just make sure it looks like her.”

"I shall not fail you!" Yusuke began studying the photo with a keen eye.

"Futaba and I will get this place cleaned up." Ryuji was about to say something, but Ren raised his finger. "Don't worry. I won't let her in your room, and I'll make sure she doesn't plant any bugs.”

"Oh, fail!" Futaba crossed her arms. "Why did I even come here?”

"Ryuji, hit the streets and retrace your steps. Try to find that necklace." Ren looked down at Morgana. "Morgana, you help him out.”

"You're teaming me up with _him!?_ " Morgana frowned and stared wistfully at Ann. "I was hoping to be paired up with Lady Ann.”

"We don't need cat hair as an extra ingredient in the cake. We _do_ need your master thief's eye to find a very important treasure." Ren crouched down to be more eye-level with Morgana. "This is the most important job. We're counting on you, Mona.”

"Well, when you put it that way, I suppose it makes the most sense tactically." Morgana perked up. How he never got tired of having his ego stroked was a mystery. It was like he was incapable of feeling any shame.

"Alright, everyone has their assignments!" Ren clapped his hands together. "This mission is time-sensitive! Everybody needs to bring their A-game! Let's go, people!”

Everybody rushed into action. Ryuji and Morgana ran out the door. Ren began dusting the tabletops while Futaba removed clutter from the floor. Makoto read the ramen recipe out loud while Haru began locating the necessary ingredients. Ann and Yusuke did the same for the cake recipe.

"Ah, flour. One of the basic building blocks of many a recipe." Yusuke looked at the open bag of flour. "I wonder if one could sustain themselves on just flour." He began to reach his hand into the bag.

"Yusuke, no!" Ann grabbed Yusuke's wrist. "Don't eat raw flour! You'll get sick!”

"It would not be my first time consuming something granular" Yusuke replied. "There have been occasions when I've had to subsist on tap water and salt packets pilfered from restaurants.”

"We really need to get you a nutritionist." Ann sighed. "And, like, an accountant.”

"Haru, can you chop vegetables?" Makoto asked.

"Yes, Mako-Chan." Haru twirled a knife skillfully in her hand, her usual smile on her face. "I'm quite practiced at using kitchen knives. You don't have to worry about me cutting off my thumb and bleeding out all over Ryuji-Kun's apartment, slowly withering away and ruining Mother's Day with my untimely death.”

"Thats... great." Makoto turned back to the recipe. She'd learned a long time ago to just take the scary things Haru says in stride. "Where do you think Ryuji's mother keep the noodles?”

As this went on, Ren and Futaba were cleaning the living room. Or, well, Ren was.

"Hey, Futaba?”

"Yes, Ren?”

"Why are you trying to vacuum your own face?”

Futaba looked at Ren, her cheek being sucked into the vacuum cleaner.

"Because I am a Dirt Person from Dirt Planet and I am not meant for Human World.”

"Do you think you could reschedule your departure from Human World and take care of the crumbs around the couch?”

"My people are at war with the Crumblings! You want me to invite them into my escape vessel!?”

"Oh boy…"

Meanwhile, on the streets of Shibuya, Ryuji and Morgana could be found doing exactly what you'd expect.

"What do you mean you can't remember!?”

"I go a lot of places, okay!? And I'm stressed!" Ryuji stomped on the ground in anger. "I thought you were s'posed t'be helpin' me!”

"I'm trying, but I thought even a moron like you would at least be able to trace his steps!" Morgana jumped on top of a trashcan to closer to Ryuji's face. "You don't seriously expect me to comb through all of Shibuya, do you?”

"I dunno! Maybe!? Just gimme time to think!”

"We only have a day!”

"Shut up!" Ryuji's phone rang. He answered it without looking. “What!?"

"Not having much luck, I take it?" Ren's voice sounded a bit worn out.

"Nah, dude. _Some people_ are more interested in comin' up with insults than helpin' out their friends!”

"I'm _trying_ to help!" Morgana yelled loud enough so Ren could hear him over the phone. "It's just that _some people_ don't give me anything to work with!”

"Okay, time out. Let's change tactics." Ren's voice picked up a bit. "Futaba's energy isn't really best suited to cleaning. Ryuji, you come back here, and I'll have Futaba join Morgana in the search. Maybe she can think of some way to find your necklace.”

"Ooh, yeah! I have an idea!" Futaba's voice could be heard in the distance. "I'm gonna run home real quick! But when I get back, Mona and I can do a super-searching combination attack!”

"Huh? What does that mean?" Ren's question was answered by a slamming door. "I don't get her sometimes. Just head back here. Mona can handle himself for a while.”

An hour later, the group had made some good progress. Haru and Makoto had mostly finished the ramen. They had gotten halfway through the recipe before realizing that it used enough ingredients to serve multiple people at a restaurant, but just decided that Ryuji and his mother would probably appreciate having leftovers. Yusuke was icing the cake with popsicle sticks, meticulously trying to recreate the photograph of a young Ryuji and his mother. It didn't help that Ann's sweet tooth took over and she kept trying to swipe away a bit of frosting. Ren and Ryuji had gotten the rest of the apartment cleaned up, but now for some reason they were debating where to put the remote for the TV.

"MONA-COPTER, ACTIVATE!”

Above the streets of Shibuya, Morgana was being carried by a remote-controlled drone. Futaba was sitting in the diner, running the operation from her laptop.

"This view is incredible, Futaba!" Morgana let out a cocky laugh. "It feels great to be looking down at other people for a change!”

"Alright, what are we looking for, Mona?”

"Ryuji said the necklace is in a small white box with a blue ribbon. So keep an eye out for anything like that. If it's just lying on the street, it's bound to stick out.”

The aerial search persisted for twenty minutes. After searching around Ryuji's home, Morgana's flight path moved to Central Street, checking all of Ryuji's usual hangouts. They searched around the movie theater, the arcade, and even the diner Futaba was sitting in. Finally, they moved over to the alleyway by the gym.

"I see it!" Morgana pointed with a paw. There was a small white box with a blue ribbon, just like Ryuji had said. It was right behind the gym's rectangular tower sign. "It's right outside Protein Lover's!"

"Seriously!?" Futaba's shouted in the diner. She didn't seem to notice the stares of the other customers all fixed on her. "He took his mom's gift with him to the gym!?"

"It _is_ Ryuji we're talking about. He's not very- Wait!"

Morgana watched as a sleazy-looking man in a leather jacket stopped by the gym and picked up the box. He opened it up, grinned, and ran off.

"Some guy just picked up the box! We've got to catch him!"

"On it! Mona-Copter, full speed!"

Futaba piloted the drone in pursuit of the man. The chase didn't last long. He took the necklace into Untouchable.

"He went inside the airsoft shop!" Morgana yelled. "Futaba, I can't go in there by myself!"

"I'm on it!" Futaba grabbed her laptop and dashed out of the diner.

Inside the shop, Iwai looked at the silver necklace in the box this stranger had brought him.

"Sure, I know a guy who'll buy this kinda thing, but..." He eyed the man suspiciously. "It looks brand new. You didn't steal this, did you?"

"Nah, my man." The sleazy man put his hands in his jacket pockets and shook his head. He had this faux-pitiful expression on his face. "My girl, I was gonna give this to her for our anniversary, but she ran off with another guy! And I just can't stand the embarrassment of takin' this back to the jewelry store, you know?"

"THAT MAN TELLS LIES!" Futaba burst into the store, wearing that weird head-mask of hers, the drone carrying Morgana flying in behind her.

"What!?" The sleazy man glared at Futaba. "Who're you, kid!?"

"Is that a real cat that flyin' robot's carryin'?" Iwai asked. Morgana meowed at him to confirm that he wasn't seeing things.

"I am an associate of Ren Amamiya's!" Futaba continued. "That necklace belongs to a friend of ours, and that man found it lying in an alleyway!" She pulled out her phone, which had drone footage playing of the man picking the box up. "I have video to prove it!"

"Why you little-!" The sleazy man started to storm towards Futaba, raising his hand, but Iwai reached over the counter and grabbed his arm in a death grip. "Ow! What're ya doin'!?"

"I got a kid of my own. If you think you can just lie to me in my own shop and then try t'hit a child..." Iwai gave the man a deadly scowl that only somebody's who'd been in the Yakuza could. "You better hope that God's more merciful'n I am."

"Wh-whoa, hey man!" The sleazeball's face turned white as a sheet and he started sweating. "I-I didn't mean nothin' by it! I was just tryin' to score some quick cash, that's all!"

"Get out." Iwai didn't have to yell. His voice carried a murderous intent that would shake the most grizzled war vet to his core. If Iwai wasn't Ren's friend, Futaba herself would've run out of the store screaming like the sleazy man did. Iwai picked up the box from the counter and held it out to Futaba. "Here, kid. Take it."

"Thank you, kind scary man!" Futaba pilot Morgana to hover right in front of Iwai. "Please relinquish the cargo to the Mona-Copter!"

"Uh... Ok." Iwai held the box out to Morgana, who clutched it with his paws. "Get home safe."

"Your appreciation is concerned, citizen!" Futaba held the door open, piloting the drone back outside. "Come, Mona-Copter! Our objective is complete!" Iwai stared in confusion as the odd girl and cat left his shop.

> You got weird friends.

Ren looked at the text from Iwai and laughed.

"What's so funny?" Ryuji asked.

"I'm not sure," Ren said, "but I think Futaba and Morgana found the necklace." His phone pinged again. It was a text from Futaba.

> Mission accomplished! Mona-Copter Division returning to home base!

"Yup, she found it."

"Holy crap, I can't believe it!" Ryuji looked around the apartment. Not only was the place spotless, but Ann and Yusuke's cake looked amazing, and the delicious aroma coming from the kitchen smelled just like the ramen shop. "You guys really saved my butt! How can I ever thank you?"

"You don't have to thank us!" Ann leaned her elbow on Ryuji's shoulder. "We know what a Mama's Boy you are."

"You don't gotta put it like that!" Ryuji gently pushed Ann away. "I got my manly pride, y'know!"

"That's probably what got you into this situation in the first place" Makoto said.

"I must concur." Yusuke took one more look at the cake, resisting the urge to try and tweak the image on it more. He knew he couldn't expect perfection from his first time working with frosting. "Attempting any one of these activities would have been enough. Your ambitions far exceeded your ability."

"I already figured that out on my own!"

"Go easy on him, everyone." Haru clasped her hands together. "I think it's very sweet that Ryuji-Kun wanted to do so much for his mother!"

"Yeah. The people at our school would never believe it." Ren laughed. "Ryuji Sakamoto: Tough guy punk, dedicated son."

"I can be both of those things!" Ryuji was about to go into a rant, but was cut off by Futaba returning, Morgana following her, still being carried by the drone.

"Your saviors have returned from their successful treasure hunt!" Futaba proclaimed.

"Why is Morgana flying?" Ren asked.

"I'm never coming down!" Morgana replied. "I like it up here! I can see _everything_!"

"He's gone mad with the power of flight!" Futaba yelled. "I've created a monster! Excellent!"

"Sky Mona. Weird." Ryuji turned to Futaba, holding out his hand. "So you got the necklace?"

"Here you go!" Futaba reached into her fanny pack and handed Ryuji the box.

"Thanks, Futaba. You're a life-saver." Ryuji looked up towards the flying cat. "You too, Mona."

"I think this distance is messing with my ears" Morgana said. "Did this bonehead just properly thank us?"

"That's enough of that!" Ren turned to Futaba. "Bring him to the ground. His ego's big enough without him being a flying cyborg."

"Yes sir!" Futaba landed the drone and released its hold on Morgana.

"No! My power of the wind!" Morgana reached for the drone as Futaba picked it up. "Not again!"

"Anyway, we should all go." Ren and the rest of the Phantom Thieves started to head for the door. "Tell your mom we said 'hi'."

"Tell her yourself" Ryuji said. "You guys aren't goin' anywhere."

"Hm?" Everyone stopped, but it was Haru who spoke up. "We couldn't impose on your time with your mother, Ryuji-Kun."

"You guys put this all together. What kinda pal would I be if I just kicked you out?"

"Won't your mother find it intrusive, though?" Makoto asked.

"Nah, it gets lonely, just the two of us. She'll be glad to have the company." Ryuji grinned. "Besides, you guys've done more for me than my old man ever did. We might as well be family, right?"

"I believe that is the most insightful thing you have ever said." Yusuke struck some kind of pose that the others could only assume was meant to be heroic or strong. "Very well, you may call me 'Big Brother' if you wish."

"Dude, we're the same age. Don't make it weird." Ryuji walked over to the light switch. "Mom'll be home soon. Everybody hide!"

Ryuji's apartment didn't have a lot of nooks and crannies to it, so everybody hid behind the couch, all squished together. As he heard his friends bickering for some elbow room, he laughed, shutting off the lights.

"This is gonna be the most rad surprise party ever."

**Author's Note:**

> Update: This fic's been changed to use Joker's canon name.


End file.
